Jalen Ramsey Traded to Steelers as Minkah Fitzpatrick, Jonnu Smith Go to Dolphins

The Miami Dolphins traded star cornerback Jalen Ramsey to the Pittsburgh Steelers in exchange for safety Minkah Fitzpatrick.

Tight end Jonnu Smith also goes to Pittsburgh in the deal, with the teams swapping late-round draft picks as well.

ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported details of the trade.

According to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, Ramsey will get a $1.5 million raise as part of the deal, boosting his salary to $26.6 million in 2025. Schefter noted the Steelers will pay "the bulk" of Ramsey's contract:

Schefter also reported Smith will get a one-year, $12 million contract extension in the deal.

Ramsey is the latest high-profile addition for Pittsburgh, as the team officially added quarterback Aaron Rodgers earlier this month.

The move comes after Dolphins general manager Chris Grier told reporters on April 15 that he was entertaining offers for the three-time All-Pro.

"Really after a couple weeks of discussions between ourselves internally and Jalen and his representation, we decided that it was probably in the best interest for all parties to move forward," he said. "I will say these decisions aren't done quickly and they're not taken lightly because we spent a lot of time this offseason working through this, talking through things. At the end of the day, Jalen did not ask for a trade."

From the Dolphins' perspective, Grier said a separation gave them the "best chance to help us win not only just this year, but in the future as well."

Ramsey's arrival ahead of the 2023 season was a sign of the franchise's ambitions. Miami was coming off a year in which it went 9-8 and advanced to the playoffs. At the time, quarterback Tua Tagovailoa was still on his rookie contract, so Grier wanted to strike while the iron was hot in terms of adding marquee veterans.

Ramsey's exit shows how much the front office's priorities have shifted.

A payroll crunch was inevitable from the moment Tagovailoa received his $212.4 million extension. His salary-cap hit is about to rise from $9.5 million in 2024 to $39.2 million this coming season.

Losing nine games last year was also a bit of a reality check for Miami.

The Dolphins have become too dependent on Tagovailoa, who once again battled injuries and missed six games last year. Wide receiver Tyreek Hill turned 31 in March, and his future has remained a subject of speculation. Investing so much in Ramsey, Hill, pass-rusher Bradley Chubb and other pricey vets thinned out the depth a bit and made it tough to retain talent.

While Grier isn't tearing the roster down the studs like he did in 2019, his remark about setting Miami up for the future was telling.

Ramsey continues to perform at a reasonably high level. He started all 17 games in 2024, finishing with 60 tackles, two interceptions and 11 pass breakups. Opposing quarterbacks had an 83.2 passer rating when targeting him, and he allowed fewer yards per reception (10.5) than his career average (11.7), per Pro Football Reference.

But the seven-time Pro Bowler is also set to turn 31 in October, and the $72.3 million extension he signed will only get more burdensome from a cap standpoint.

If Grier didn't believe the Dolphins can challenge for the AFC East title now or in 2026, then it was worth asking whether it made sense to keep Ramsey.

The short-term cost was going to be high regardless of if he was traded or waived outright. The added cap room Grier will have starting in 2026 could be worth it.